Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Just when I already thought I had a favorite sermon, wow this one. Is. Amazing.

Piper starts off this talk in an amazing way:

Every one of us is a spin doctor by nature. Every one of us is springloaded to put his own failings in the best light and the failings of his adversaries in the worst light. We soften our own sins with mild words and skewer others with hard words. Or worse, we see the sins of others and are blind to our own. And when the truth hunts us down and corners us, we will dodge and distort and evade and mislead and equivocate and lie. And when that doesn’t work to suppress the truth, we will shift to blaming and accusing and deflecting—anything to hold down the truth from having its full effect in our lives. That’s what Romans 1:18b is about. This so relevant it takes your breath away.

So, I have noticed that every message is basically centered around a question from which he spend the message trying to answer. I love that approach.

So here is the question of this message and passage:

What truth is being suppressed? And what does it mean that we suppress it “in unrighteousness”?

The answer is given in the following verses.

[We suppress the truth in unrighteousness], because that which is known about God [first clue: the truth being suppressed is something known about God] is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. (20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes [now he gets specific; here is the truth that is known about God from the created world], His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. [There is the objective truth about God that we suppress—his eternal power and deity—but now he tells us that there is another subjective truth, namely, the response we are supposed to have to this truth about God.] (21) For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him [literally, glorify him] as God or give thanks.

Now, check out how many times he refers to the truth that we suppress:

So here is the truth that we suppress apart from God’s grace in our lives. There is a God. He is the Creator of all things and so not a god but the God. He is powerful—more powerful than all else, because he made all else. He is eternal because there was nothing outside him that could bring him into being. Therefore we must exist to display his glory and not to compete with him for glory. And we must exist in absolute dependence on him. We do not supply him, he supplies us. And therefore we are to live in constant gratitude.

That is the truth that we suppress in unrighteousness. This is confirmed in verses 25 and 28. Verse 25: “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie [notice, the truth that is being exchanged, gotten rid of, suppressed is truth about God], and [they] worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Which is the same as saying, “they did not glorify him as God or give thanks to him, but instead glorified the creature and took credit for what was owing only to God.” They exchanged God-worship for self-worship. They suppressed the truth that God is infinitely glorious and that we are totally dependent on him.

So let’s sum up what the truth is that we suppress. The truth is that God exists. He is eternal and infinitely powerful. He supplies us with all we have. Therefore he is gloriously self-sufficient with no needs that we can meet. The truth is that our reason for being is to be thankful for all he has given us and to display his glory by the way we think and feel and act (see Psalm 50:23).[1]

In other words, the truth is that the universe is radically God-centered: it comes from him, it exists for the display of his glory. And human life is supposed to be radically God-centered—not by working for God as if he were a needy deity, but by our being thankful to him and exulting in the grace that so much good comes to us, even amid terrible suffering…

Here is the truth: there are two great demands of God on the lives of all humans—1) that we exult in God’s bounty to us (that’s thankfulness), and 2) that we reflect or display his glory. Don’t miss this. It is right there in verse 21: “Even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks.” It means that God has created a universe in which we get the blessings and he gets the glory. And the way God gets the glory is by our exulting in him as the all-sufficient Giver of all things.

So here is the truth: God exists. God is eternal and infinitely powerful. God is the giver of every good gift. And therefore our reason for being—our chief duty, the end for which we were created, and the commandment written on every heart—is to display the glory of this great God every day, hour by hour, as we live in the exultation over his bounty to us.

And that is the truth that we hate and suppress in unrighteousness.

Why did they reject the truth and suppress the truth and not love the truth? Because they “took pleasure in unrighteousness.” When you love sin, you cannot love the truth. The truth is too threatening. It threatens to take away your illicit pleasures. I would venture to say that virtually all falsehood comes from this: a stronger affection for the pleasures of sin. That is what unrighteousness is. Loving sin more than loving God and his truth.

So you see that the issue of truth is an issue of the heart before it is an issue of the head. When the heart is in love with self-exaltation and independence and the pleasures of sin, the mind will inevitably distort the truth or suppress the truth in order to protect the idols of the heart. What is needed is not just new ideas or more information, but a new heart. And a new set of passions and desires and pleasures.

Is there any hope for us? The hope lies in verses 16–17. “The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.”

The truth is evident… Will we allow the truth to bring us to the light unto glory to God or will we stifle the truth and allow it to bring us to darkness?

I did a blog a few weeks ago about joining my buddy, James, to teach a class at the Bible School he started. Well, I invited him to my class last week where he did an overview of the covenants. I was doing a series on the covenants and it just so happens that Mr. J.R. Willamson (James) has written a book about the covenants. Check it out here! Anyway, it was a good time of sharing ministry.

It is beautiful time over here in Zambia. The timing is a bit odd, that kneedeep in the hot season, these massive beauties just now take our breathaway. It has been months since we have seen any rain, and yet, in hotseason, the water they have been storing for months, combined with the nicehot weather creates a blossoming bundle of beauty. Wish you could see themfor yourself. Until then, enjoy this picture.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Ripleys, Melvilles, Stranbergs, Powells, and whomever else former ACTION Zambians that I forgot, prepare to be blown away. This post is mostly for the former Zambia living people who would appreciate the progress of the little Manda Hill strip mall. I still can't believe something like this is going up in Zambia, but I guess it helps being so close to South Africa (They have financed the entire thing I hear). A major mall with a food court, movie theater and all the clothing shops I will never need. The rumor has it that it will also have the first McDonalds and KFC in Zambia. We are not holding our breath for the McDonalds rumor or for the "Unwrapping" which is supposed to be in November. Not sure what McNshima burger would taste like...

We are all smiles these days. And especially in this picture, as we arebeing pictured with our daughter, Jennifer Rhoda Allen, receiving herofficial VISA to become a US citizen upon arrival in the United States ofAmerica in under a month. Also, in the picture, the ambassador for Zambia,a deputy for Mission and the gal that helped us out with the VISA. Theseofficials in the embassy were very kind working with us and blessed us witha few minutes of hearing our story and encouraging us in our decision toadopt. Today we got our UK visa for Rhoda and we are all cleared to comehome... We are planning on putting together an updated newsletter very soonof all the happenings of our furlough. So, be looking out for that in yourmailbox at a email server near you!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

My friend, James Williamson, a missionary, who also teaches and disciplespastors at the Lusaka Ministerial College in Lusaka, invited me to come andteach to his class. He wanted me to help the pastors learn how to use theESV Study Bible which they received last week. And, so I took theopportunity to teach them inductive bible study using the ESV study bible tohelp them study. It was good fun helping them discover the beauty that isthe ESV study bible. Not only is a great translation, the notes are greatand the resources in the bibles are incredible. I use my ESV just aboutevery day and I love it. (I should get paid for this commercial). Anyway,it was a great way to spend the morning, discovering a new compound,connecting with new pastors, and helping people love the ESV study which Ilove so much. And, for those who have been in Zambia and know Pastor Tholefrom Matero, you'll be encouraged to know that he was in the class as well.

I may have mentioned that I am coaching a U-15 (under 15) basketball teamat the local international school just 3 minutes from our house. We had ourfirst tournament and I feel pretty pumped to be able to say that as a coachin Zambia, I am undefeated. We won the first game (10 minute games) 13-2 andthe second game 4-2:) The guys were pumped. The courts were outdoor andpictures don't justice on how hard the winds were blowing. It actuallyworked out to our advantage because my guys can't shoot very well. Actually,it was very encouraging to see how far the guys have come during my one houra week Thursday practices!

The other pictures are the other team I am coaching. Team Allen Ladies andGuffey's and Robert's and a bunch of other little kids for 45 minutes onThursdays. It is a great chance to help coach our kids as well as meetother children at the school.

I was just reading a blog the other day about how important it is as aminister/pastor to get out of your ministry at least one day a week. Itreally has been a great chance to meet new people and have my worldstretched a bit more. So, there it is, for 1 hour and 45 minutes every week,I am Coach Allen on the court and the other bunch of hours I am coach Allenin the classroom!

Actually, if I am truly honest, I am pretty much in the classroom as astudent all the time here in Africa. I am learning more here than I amteaching anyone else...

It is not unusual to see misspellings in signs all over Zambia. But, I thinkthis one takes the cake... It is a movie theatre poster showing the pricesof movies. Can you find the misspelling and therein enjoy the pretty funnyirony of it all like I did?

Sunday, September 12, 2010

I think I may have mentioned it before that my only regret in marryingStephanie is that I didn't marry her sooner. And, on this special occasion,namely her birthday, I would like to pause this blog a moment to publiclyproclaim what I have been saying in private and thinking to myself over thepast 12 years of our marriage, I LOVE MY WIFE! She is thoughtful, strong,sensitive, kind, funny, smart, insightful, perceptive, hard-working,selfless, peaceful, patient, and loving. In the words of my firstborn, thehighest compliment one can receive, "I want to be just like you when I growup!" So, on this day before her 37th birthday, I share with you, 37pictures from this last year to commemorate her 37th year of life.

Stephanie, in this 37th year of your life, may you be loved, encouraged,faith-filled and joyous. May you rejoice in the husband of your youth, mayyou find delight and light in parenting and schooling the children in theiryouth and may you be renewed as one who finds the fountain of their youth.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

We had to move our Action Pastor's College location this last month becauseof a 35% rate increase in our lease agreement. To be honest, it was abummer. We had organized the room and invested a lot of time and money tomake it like home. The new location is about the same size, but we arelimited in our ability to invest into making it feel like home. It is muchmore like we are just renting it. The room is about the same size, but wecan't bring in our tables or chairs and so the room construction is a bitlacking. I love the windows but we lost our air conditioning. With hotseason approaching, it will make it a tougher teaching environment, that isfor sure. So, while this can seem a bit defeating, I just take comfort inthe fact that Jesus didn't have a home, either. Matthew 8:20 - 20And Jesussaid to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Sonof Man has nowhere to lay his head." I think sometimes religiousinstitutions get hamstrung by facility and debt and then the institutionends up running the ministry instead of the other way around. So, as muchas we would like to have a home to rest our head, figuratively speaking, Iam very grateful that our ministry is more about relationships than propertyor location. Now, if God were to give us a place of our own to meettomorrow, I definitely wouldn't turn it down, but I am choosing to bethankful and to believe that God is at work, teaching all of us, how to bemore like Jesus.

Sunday, September 05, 2010

We welcomed back Tracy and Karen Singleton at the airport last Thursday fromtheir four month furlough. I asked my pastors during a class if any of themwould like to come out and surprise Tracy and a few of them that lived closeto me enthusiastically said yes. So, I picked them up at 6:15am and we wentto the airport. On the way to the airport, they expressed how thankful theywere that they could come with us, because as one pastor said, "We havenever come because we have no reason to be here, no one to pick up." Idon't think any of them, maybe minus one, had ever been to the airport intheir 40+ something years of life here in Lusaka. Needless to say, it was agreat surprise for Tracy and Karen. They expected the missionaries to comebut they didn't expect the pastors. They had missed Tracy very much duringhis furlough and it is good to have him back. After saying hellos andgoodbyes, I told the pastors that he came back for them. It was a coolinsight for me as well, to hear myself say that, because in essence, it istrue for me as well. We are here for them. We have sacrificed so much to behere to serve God in a foreign land for these pastors that they might beequipped, encouraged and sent out to lead communities to Christ. Thoughwhile saying that might be true, I still say we learn more from them thanthey do from us.

(For an interesting observation, on the top picture in the top left handcorner, there is an advertisement for Zambezi Airlines with Kenneth Kaundaon it, who was the first president for Zambia. "I fly Zambezi Airlines":))

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

I promised a more detailed updated of our marathon weekend that went bylike a sprint (why is it that vacations without children seem to pass onwarp speed?) Our weekend was full of experiences. Getting down there, weall took the bus. Actually both ways. It was brilliant. Half the cost. And anice, readable, relaxing, napping time! We crossed the border in no time.We had a really nice first evening, watching an amazing sunset as we enjoyeda really nice dinner. I had a few firsts in the eating department thisweekend: Crocodile, Ostrich, Guinea Fowl and Warthog... Yummy in the tummy!We stayed the weekend in a dormitory at a camp ground. Yes, we actuallystayed in a boys/girls separate dormitory for a cool $11 dollars a person.(So nice to see a familiar green paper again.) I was feeling a bit old tobe staying in a dormitory, but we wanted to save money since this weekendwas about receiving money and not spending it... God had mercy, and it wasjust us and a nice Irish chap for the first night for the fellas. The ladieshad three other housemates, but all was good for everyone. The secondnight was cool too. We had six Zimbabwe men stay with us who were in therace. One of them had run a marathon best of 2 hours and 14 minutes, whichis like running a 4:20 minute mile for 26 miles. The guy was small and allmuscle. The other guys were in the disabled race. Really humbling talking tothem. They ate bananas for dinner.

We wanted to do something during Saturday that we couldn't do with kids.Bunjie jump? Sky Diving? Paragliding? Rafting? Uh, no. Sitting by the pool,relaxing and talking all day. YES! The fellas spent Saturday talking bythe pool and playing cards. The girls went shopping and then laid by thepool. A perfect day! The race was fun. There was about 300 people and theatmosphere was fun, and we had a great time talking with everyone. I saw ababoon, and a huge Baobob tree that they call "the big tree! (creative, Iknow). All of us heartily agreed that this race should be our FIRST annual"Kilometers for Kids" and we are already making plans for next year's race.Maybe you are a runner and are interested in this challenge? You have ayear to plan and start training...Thank you to the many who joined us inthis project.

As for the pictures: from top right to left...Dinner out and the waterhole that we watched a herd of Elephants eat atwhile we ate... Amazing. The guys in wheelchairs who stayed in ourdormitory. One of them had a best marathon time of 1 hour 30 minutes. Yeah,amazing! The big tree! The girls at the starting line and us buying Pizzaafter the race:) Our proving that we really made it to Zimbabwe. And themist from the falls with the sun behind it as we ran. Met a guy from NorthCarolina, 72 years young, who ran the marathon which was his 7th marathon in7 continents. And us walking before dawn to the race line.